A Closer look at Everett & Chelsea, MA

Urban developers and outsiders define and only see Everett and Chelsea as their problems because they do not fit the vision of a "modern city." They are seen as "slums," and people can only see them as high-crime, dense, with sub-par education and a high immigrant population (people are negatively biased about this). Thus, they want a clean slate to construct new commercial areas and attract newer, wealthier residents. I show that the negative consequences of redlining that shaped these cities intersect with present-day gentrification, contributing to the perpetuating cycle of displacement of marginalized populations.

The consequences of redlining have shaped the perceptions of these cities where they are only defined by their problems while their notable virtues of resilience and culture are overlooked. The notion of the homegrown neighborhood is more accurate as community members are working to ameliorate the health and social inequities. Because the cities consist of racial and ethnic diversity, people should be interested in the stories of culture and resiliency that residents bring to the city, especially since many are immigrants and have overcome many barriers to be where they are now. They are part of the community, they own local restaurants with delicious food of endless cuisines, and shops, and make up their personality.

The article about Chelsea conveys that poverty, addiction, and homelessness persist in tandem with gentrification. The community members that have grown up in the city and made up its culture are being driven out by others moving into a location that is an ideal commute to Boston.

This article from of Everett's newspapers highlights the need for housing stability since it impacts mental, physical, and social health, but the developers that come to draft plans increase rent prices. Residents are proud and have been working to improve their communities. They still want more improvements, but their ideas are excluded by developers. Residents are instead driven away by higher rents and face impacts on mental and social health from the changing neighborhoods.

"Do you know how much bleeping money it will cost to make this place look pretty?" -Steve Wynn (resorts), referring to a plot of land that would become a casino in Everett, MA. 2012

“We didn't know where we were going," said a resident that lived in a three-family apartment in this area before it was demolished. “We were going to be homeless."

The consequences of redlining have shaped the communities and negative perceptions of them, where others deem them as “slums'' because they have problems and believe redevelopment is required to “fix” the communities. In reality, they are more similar to the idea of a homegrown neighborhood.

Local activists, community members, and organizations have always been working to make incremental changes to these cities they are proud to live in and combatting displacement. They know what changes they need for their communities. Both cities won the Culture of Health Prize (for US communities advancing health, equity, and opportunity). Improvements to the communities are needed, but they should not be at the expense of longtime residents that consider Everett and Chelsea as their homes. Redevelopers must engage with these communities and use their input to understand the residents’ vision of their cities and bring that vision to life.